Arabian Desert and Dust Over Red Sea, Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula. Its geography is dominated by the Arabian Desert and associated semi-desert and shrubland.

Among the deserts composing the Arabian Desert is the world’s largest sand area, the Rub’ al Khali (“Empty Quarter”), which covers the southern part of the country and covers more than 250,000 square miles (647,500 square km). It slopes from above 2,600 feet (800 metres) near the border with Yemen. Some dust can be seen over the Red Sea in the lower left corner.